Television Nigerian

Before it considers the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), the Senate has given the executive branch of government two weeks to provide a thorough, written report on how the 2024 budget is being implemented, along with forecasts for the 2025 fiscal year.

Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, led President Bola Tinubu’s economic team in a meeting with the Senate Committee on Finance at the National Assembly in Abuja, where the directive was given.

The ultimatum was issued by Senator Sani Musa, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, who stated that the senate would not begin discussing the 2026–2028 MTEF and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) until it had a clear performance report on the current year’s budget.

Senator Musa said, “We must first understand the performance of the 2024 budget before moving forward with the MTEF.”

“Before we examine the 2026 MTEF, you have until October 23 to respond and submit a documented report.”

The Senate Calls for Fiscal Planning Transparency
Musa emphasized that in order for MPs to evaluate the fiscal estimates and economic assumptions included in the MTEF, they need precise performance statistics.

He emphasized that such an assessment was necessary for credible fiscal planning and clarified that the committee’s study will concentrate on revenue performance, expenditure trends, and project execution under the 2024 budget.

“Assumption-based estimates will not receive Senate approval. We need facts, data, and verifiable performance reports to establish accountability in public finance,” the senator added.

Finance Minister Wale Edun, who led talks on Nigeria’s macroeconomic outlook and fiscal policy orientation ahead of the 2025 budget cycle, was among the important members of the President’s economic team in attendance.

The Senate’s stance highlights members’ mounting concerns about the 2024 budget’s implementation rate, namely with relation to debt service commitments, income shortages, and capital releases.

The government’s fiscal policy aims and spending caps for a three-year period are outlined in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), which forms the basis of annual budgets.

The Federal Government must now submit a thorough and verifiable report outlining the extent to which the 2024 budget has been implemented by October 23 in order for the Senate to examine the next fiscal plan.

According to the Nigerian government, it is not giving up on developing policies to deter online fraudsters and foster confidence in online companies.

Among other countries, fraudulent actions have damaged Nigeria’s reputation, according to Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, or NITDA, who made this revelation.

The National Digital Trustmark is a Federal Government effort that aims to give Nigerian e-commerce and other online platforms a verifiable certification process or badge of confidence. The NITDA chief spoke at a press conference to introduce the concept.

The initiative would also block off criminal and fraudulent elements that harm and instill fear in online businesses, such as the actions of internet fraudsters, also known as Yahoo boys, who have seriously harmed the nation’s reputation, according to Abdullahi. The initiative’s goal is to provide safety for online buying and selling.

Abdullahi claims that the program extends beyond domestic internet fraudsters since nations like China purchase Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from Nigeria and other African nations and use them to perpetrate crimes in their own nations that appear to be committed in Nigeria or Asia.

He said the government is dedicated to boosting consumer confidence, encouraging fair competition, and raising Nigerian companies to international standards through NITDA in collaboration with its partners, including the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, or NACCIMA, and the German International Cooperation Agency.

“We’re working to establish trust by bringing the public and private sectors together to form partnerships and develop projects.

“Where international organizations and development partners can come and work with us to share best practices and also support what government and private sector are doing to build trust within the digital economy.” “What the private sector can do is tell the governments where there are challenges and suggest policies and regulations that can help to build trust within the ecosystem.”

Every business, e-commerce platform, government agency, and company will have a trust seal on their website to guarantee that they are legitimate and that people can quickly distinguish between cloned and genuine websites as part of the National Digital Trust Mark initiative, which aims to increase trust in our digital ecosystem.

Because of this trust mark, we should be able to tell which websites are genuine and which are clones, fakes, and so forth.

“When you direct and transact online, it will help to build confidence and trust that you are dealing with authentic website providers,” he stated.

Speaking further, Abdullahi emphasized the role that the media plays in redefining Nigeria’s image abroad.

He continued by saying, “Once we address these issues locally in Nigeria, it will also help us to rebrand our image internationally.”

He said that hearing foreigners call Nigerians scammers is hurtful.

Hearing that is quite upsetting. In addition, Nigeria has been ranked in the top five in the same category as the US, Russia, China, and Ukraine when it comes to cyber security, according to the Cybercrime Index.

It’s nice to fall into this category, so occasionally we say yes. How does that sound? Since their digitization is more advanced, it implies that there are additional obstacles associated with digitalization.

Occasionally, these unscrupulous actors are not even Nigerians. They observe that they may reach the IP of Nigeria. Foreigners were arrested in Nigeria for engaging in all of these yahoo. Chinese people are purchasing African and Nigerian IP addresses and utilizing them for criminal purposes. This is evident on the internet from African nations.

“There are a lot of complicated issues that we must examine and consider how we can work together to solve.”

In Dushanbe, Azerbaijan, President Vladimir Putin laid forth the causes of the 2024 Christmas Day jet disaster in Azerbaijan and acknowledged that Russia was to blame.

38 passengers were killed when Baku-based Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed close to Aktau, Kazakhstan. Five crew members and 67 citizens from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan were on board the Embraer 190.

Putin acknowledged that the competent authorities are almost finished with their investigation into the disaster, which was “caused by several factors,” during a meeting with President Ilham Aliyev on Thursday.

The president said that throughout the night of the disaster, Russian forces had been monitoring three Ukrainian drones that had breached the federation’s border.

Two fired missiles failed to strike the aircraft directly, indicating “technical malfunctions in Russia’s air defense system” as the second culprit.

“The plane would have crashed right away if it had occurred. He said, “They exploded meters away.” The majority of the damage was probably caused by missile pieces rather than the warheads.

Putin claims that the black box captured the pilot’s perception of the incident as a collision with a flock of birds, which he reported to Russian air traffic authorities.

According to the Russian leader, the pilot was told to make an emergency landing in Makhachkala, as heard on the tapes, but he chose to head back to his home base before traveling to Kazakhstan.

Putin expressed regret to Azerbaijan once more and pledged Moscow will make every effort to ease tensions, including paying compensation and conducting a legal review of all responsible authorities’ conduct.

Recalling that the airliner went down when he was heading to a meeting in St Petersburg and had to turn back, President Aliyev responded by thanking his Russian colleague for managing this crisis.

Despite the tragedy, according to Aliyev, the two countries’ commercial and economic connections have improved dramatically in 2025, and all other aspects of their bilateral relations have also improved.

After accusing Moscow of concealing the accident’s specifics and denying any responsibility, the president of Azerbaijan declared in July that his country will sue Russia in international tribunals.

Political analysts and insiders in the state administration are uneasy about Taraba State’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Aminu Alkali, continuing functioning without a single appointed aide more than two years after taking office.

In contrast to Governor Agbu Kefas’s office, which is crammed with advisers, personal assistants, and media handlers, Alkali’s office is noticeably empty, without even a Chief Press Secretary—a crucial position for handling communications with the public and media.

The deputy governor’s capacity to carry out his duties has been “severely limited” by the lack of personnel, according to sources at Government House in Jalingo who spoke to the Daily Post.

“If the deputy governor had had the required aides, I think his current health condition could have been better managed,” a top official stated.

“The fact that he hasn’t even hired a press secretary to handle media affairs after more than two years in office is shocking.”

According to the source, the situation is “administratively abnormal,” and the governor should step in to bring order back to the deputy governor’s office.

Alhaji Alkali had previously presented a list of suggested assistants and received approval for their hiring, according to the findings; however, important administrative individuals are said to have halted the process.

Several sources claim that for undisclosed reasons, these political players have essentially blocked the hiring process by refusing to issue appointment letters.

Another government source stated, “This is not just a bureaucratic delay anymore; it’s becoming a matter of administrative efficiency and human dignity.”

In order for the deputy governor to formally name and collaborate with his staff, Governor Kefas must act quickly. It will lessen the strain on him and get his office back up and running again.

There have been rumors of internal power struggles inside the Taraba State Government due to the protracted staffing stalemate. Some have suggested that the scenario is a reflection of larger political tensions between the deputy’s supporters and the governor’s camp.

Opponents have called on Governor Agbu Kefas to take immediate action, claiming that the deputy governor is entitled to the institutional assistance required to carry out his constitutional responsibilities.

A former commissioner with knowledge of the problem stated, “The governor needs to take swift action to resolve this matter.”

“The position of deputy governor is an essential component of government, not a ceremonial addition.”

Neither the accusations nor the explanations for the ongoing hold-up in the deputy governor’s aide selection process had received an official reaction from the governor’s office as of the time of publication.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu’s ongoing arrest has been denounced by Paul Ibe, a former vice president Atiku Abubakar’s media aide.

Using his 𝕏 account, Ibe stated that Atiku had consistently demanded the agitator’s release.

Others who were also arrested, like Sunday Igboho, Omoyele Sowore, and former National Security Advisor Sambo Dasuki, he noted, have since attained their freedom.

Ibe questioned what offense Kanu had committed that would justify his incarceration.

On the Nnamdi Kanu matter, Atiku Abubakar has remained steadfast, he said. He demanded Kanu’s release in 2023, and in 2024, he put out a political solution.

In keeping with his stance, he has now supported the #MarchforKanu initiative by the Sowore. It is a patriotic action.

“Assume, without denying, that Kanu has a case to make. Is there a sincere and equitable attempt to hold a trial that will deliver real justice as quickly as possible, based on the existing sham trial?

What crime did Kanu commit, by the way, that others did? However, Sabo Dasuki, Sunday Igboho, and Yele Sowore—three other people who were arrested around the same time as Nnamdi Kanu—were released on bond.

Why does Kanu’s situation differ? The fact that he is from the opposite side of our geographic region and goes by Nnamdi Kanu might be the reason.

In the meantime, we have witnessed the amnesty of Boko Haram militants. Isn’t that unfair to certain people? The only viable solution to the Nnamdi Kanu problem is therefore a political one.

Members of the Nigerian Senate have been warned by former presidential candidate Obi Ezekwesili to stop harassing Kogi Central legislator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan in any way.

According to sources, two weeks ago, Natasha made her Senate comeback following a six-month suspension.

The lawmaker has become a symbol of the strength and tenacity required to combat injustice committed against citizens by those who misuse public power, Ezekwesili wrote in a message sent to the Nigerian Senate and its 107 senators.

She said that because the troubled politician was making demands on the Senate members, she was unjustly suspended.

She commented on 𝕏, “It is time for your leadership and members to do the right thing—end all forms of harassment or targeting against her.”

“Every rational Nigerian views Senator Natasha’s suspension as an injustice that went well beyond the parameters of appropriate discipline.

“It gave the incorrect impression that a woman who speaks up and stands up for what she believes in may be intimidated or silenced by the Senate.

Restoring Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan thus gives the Senate an opportunity to make amends and demonstrate to the public that it is capable of maintaining equity and respect for all elected officials.

“Cease all conflicts and nonverbal discipline. She cannot be sidelined, irritated, or humiliated any longer for merely carrying out her duties.

“Restore her senatorial rights and privileges in their entirety.” To fully function, she needs access to her office, staff, committee responsibilities, and the freedom to speak in the chamber.

“Lead by example.” The Senate must demonstrate its maturity in handling any issues affecting individual members and refrain from unfairly using its authority to punish those who have wronged them.

Respect what the people have mandated. The residents of Kogi Central are represented by Senator Natasha. Any additional attacks on her would be a betrayal of her voters’ wishes.

“As I have maintained since the beginning of this saga, this is not just about Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan,” she continued.

It concerns Nigeria’s desired democracy, where women can hold leadership positions without fear of discrimination or harassment, and where no one faces consequences for speaking up against the status quo.

“The Senate must keep in mind that the best ways to demonstrate authority are via openness, justice, responsibility, and restraint rather than through threats.

“By treating Senator Natasha with the same respect and decency as all other members, the Senate has the opportunity to turn this page properly.

The main criterion by which the public will evaluate the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is how it responds to the substantive issue of her accusation against the Senate President moving ahead. This will determine whether or not our highest legislative body sets an example.

There is a new opportunity for many of her coworkers to take advantage of this and at last be heard when they say that “the injustice shall not be sustained.”

“The Senate’s decision between justice and retaliation will be remembered by history, and Nigerians are watching.”